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First, I'd be more concerned about having a good worker than a friend, but you can find both if you want.
Second, not enough info for anyone on the internet to fairly evaluate your agent. You're in the best position to do that.
Third, I just looked at the thread Mike linked. I don't agree with her assessment of inspections. I know my buyers have legit concerns when they ask for repairs. Think of it this way. Your buyer has a perception of a home's value, as do you when you sell. The buyer hires an independent 3rd party to evaluate condition. The buyer then re-evaluates based on condition if their perception of value has changed.
Example Buyer Mindset: I liked this house at 300k, but if I'm paying 300k the leak under the kitchen sink should be repaired, the leaking boot vents need to be replaced, and the 12 year old R-22 HVAC unit that needs new evaporator coils should be replaced.
So i read the link to the other thread. I love this agent. She would suit me just fine. Some of the stuff in the inspection reports are just silly since they have nothing to do with safety, livability, or expected condition. However the sellers agent needs to be practical. She needs to explain that while it’s partly a game, these days you've got to play or stay home.
When the price for the house is set in the beginning, the owner will take into account the obvious repairs that could be made. But it is the important items that surprise the seller that should be used to lower the price IMHO. And to help the buyer decide if, for that price, they are ready to take on the repairs.
I never wanted a new friend when I had a real estate agent. But that's what i always got.
A tough, all business agent might be needed in some situations.
All I want is the house sold fast at a top price. Too many agents "sell out" their clients to turnover the property quick--but use lowering the price to get the fast sale. That's what you don't want if the property is desirable and in good condition.
As a seller of a home, would you like to work with someone like this if you got all the results, in the end, you were looking for and maybe even more?
That.
I wouldn't care if Shrek was selling my house as long as it got sold.
Quote:
Originally Posted by selling home
Or do you need some small talk, time to discuss the process in depth to your satisfaction, hand-holding to deal with the stress, and regular smiles to tell you everything is going to be all right at the end of the stressful process from your real estate agent, along with the results?
Why does it matter that she is "extremely attractive"? That stuck out to me in your description. Which makes me wonder if there is something else going on that is causing her to intentionally keep you at arms length. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. In that case, it's still an odd thing to say.
I guess the way I look at selling is I want a realtor that can get the most for my house, in the shortest time possible, with the minimum number of headaches. It's a business transaction. I don't want a friend, need happy smiles, or look for someone to soothe my emotions about the sale. Based on your description, she'd be perfect for me. I think you need to look at your goals - and if she's not meeting them then it's time to move on to someone with a more friendly approach.
I have read with great interest the replies so far. I suspect they came from both real estate experts and buyers and sellers.
There have been some misconceptions about my situation and about my needs in a professional real estate agent. Such as:
1) In no way am I expecting to meet a new friend or even want a very friendly person as my agent. I want someone who has a combination of experience, expertise, and a strong ability to negotiate and deal with tough situations that come up.
2) I don't want to waste lots of time with an overly folksy person who will get me in a long discussion about the weather or their children.
3) People seem to misunderstand my comments about how attractive the real estate agent is and suspect that I am looking for a date or personal or romantic relationship with her based on her beauty. That is not the case. The only reason I brought up her good looks is to paint a picture of the type of person she is. Her physical beauty, hairstyle, and very expensive clothes are part of her brand and persona as an agent.
Now with that understood here is my concerns about a real estate agent who is all business:
1) We are in tough challenging times with the economic and health crisis we are facing. Most of us are afraid our homes may quickly fall in value and some of us want to get as much from our home sale as possible before it is too late. I don't want to rush decisions that may hurt us in the end.
2) The home selling process is stressful with many twists and turns. It involves many questions and unexpected issues. Lots of decisions that require analysis and discussion. An agent who can find the perfect mix between professionalism/expertise and giving the customer's emotional and intellectual support is best. The best agent can engage in "some small talk" to show everyone's human side and get to know us and our needs to help build comfort and trust. This is going to create the best mix of a personal and professional connection that makes it easier to communicate and problem solve during these stressful situations. A few smiles and signs of empathy would make the stress go away.
3) With our current agent, she rushes through our phone calls and does not give me a chance to take a breath and intellectualize the topic at hand for necessary discussion and thought. My wife and I will get off the phone and say to ourselves, "what just happened?" As a result, we are not satisfied, but it is too late in the process to use someone else because we are closing soon.
...With our current agent, she rushes through our phone calls and does not give me a chance to take a breath and intellectualize the topic at hand for necessary discussion and thought. My wife and I will get off the phone and say to ourselves, "what just happened?" As a result, we are not satisfied, but it is too late in the process to use someone else because we are closing soon.
And there it is in a nutshell.
The OP deserves discussion and clarification of points in the transaction, and people absorb this stuff at different rates.
Ergo:
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish
I would say that it appears the OP and the agent are just not a good fit at this point.
Different styles leading to client discomfort is often unproductive.
I sometimes have clients that rush things. If I send them a contract or an amend - they sign before reading. I get that it is a compliment, they trust me. I'd rather have a discussion around it. This is their real estate transaction, not mine.
So when I talk to people that are in a hurry, I ask if they have 5 minutes, and wait for a response. If they talk fast, I slow my speech down. If they speak with emotion, and none is needed, I lower my voice.
Yes, this is business, but we are dealing with humans and they are pretty emotional about their property.
If you feel rushed, take notes and memorialize what you spoke about and agreed to do and send them to her in an email. That way she can make additions or corrections, or both, and you two can be on the same page.
An agent who can find the perfect mix between professionalism/expertise and giving the customer's emotional and intellectual support is best. The best agent can engage in "some small talk" to show everyone's human side and get to know us and our needs to help build comfort and trust. This is going to create the best mix of a personal and professional connection that makes it easier to communicate and problem solve during these stressful situations. A few smiles and signs of empathy would make the stress go away.
Have you expressed your concerns directly to your agent? Just something simple like "We are feeling like our conversations are a little rushed and we are struggling to process everything that quickly"
We tend to be biased, subconsciously assuming others should know and match our expectations. And when that doesn't happen, we jump to "They should know my expectations and are choosing not to meet them." When the likely reality is they just have different expectations and don't even know it's causing an issue. Who knows, maybe a bunch of clients felt exactly the same way you do, but no one ever said anything? Maybe it can be easily solved, maybe it's her way or the highway. But if you don't say anything you can't expect anything to change.
Our real estate agent is a technical guru and knows real estate laws and procedures like the back of her hand. She is a neighborhood expert. Knows the market and has sold hundreds of homes in the last 10 years. Super self confident. Extremely attractive. Poised and well dressed. She came highly recommended. She is known as a tough negotiator. She gets results!
But after working with her for 6 weeks now I have now turned sour on her. She is all business. Short with us and abrupt. All attempts on my part at just a few minutes of small talk have been rejected. No opening pleasantries in our phone calls. She keeps all phone calls to the point and as brief as possible. I feel like I am working with a high-level executive at a Fortune 500 company, not someone in a customer service role. She is tough as nails, with a time is money approach. To her, results is all that really counts.
As a seller of a home, would you like to work with someone like this if you got all the results, in the end, you were looking for and maybe even more? Or do you need some small talk, time to discuss the process in depth to your satisfaction, hand-holding to deal with the stress, and regular smiles to tell you everything is going to be all right at the end of the stressful process from your real estate agent, along with the results?
Sounds like my kinda agent.
As long as my questions get answered I'm happy.
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